The Strategic Instruction Model™ (SIM™) is an integrated model of research-validated practices that addresses the needs of diverse learners, primarily adolescents. SIM™ has been developed through rigorous, on-going research at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning (KU-CRL). SIM™ consists of learning strategies and routines. The Learning Strategies (student-centered) are used with students to help in the mastery of basic skills, while the Content Enhancement Routines (teacher-centered) are used with whole class instruction to help teachers make content meaningful and memorable for students. More detailed information is provided on the Strategic Instruction Model™ website and on this webcast. [Read more…]

The Virginia Department of Education, in collaboration with the Partnership for People with Disabilities, supports the Inclusion Project, a youth-led initiative to increase disability awareness in schools. More information about the Inclusion Project can be found here.

This year, the Inclusion Project is pleased to announce it is offering up to 10 mini-grants (max: $2,000) to support schools interested in planning an Inclusion Project event. If you are interested in promoting inclusion in your schools, please apply for a mini-grant here.

Are you interested in learning ways to provide specially designed instruction within the co-taught classroom? Watch as co-teacher leaders Michael Hurley and Carolyn Laudicina describe in the video below how they co-teach and monitor the progress of students with disabilities within the general education setting. [Read more…]

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has identified co-teaching demonstration sites throughout the commonwealth in the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative. There are six demonstration sites locally in Superintendents Regions 2 and 3 (see Table 1). These model sites provide opportunities for co-teaching partners across the state to observe effective co-teaching. The sites highlight research-based inclusive practices to meet the needs of all students within the general education classroom. At each model site, the co-teaching teams share with visitors co-planning, co-instructing, and co-assessing practices that have helped their students succeed. [Read more…]